What does it mean to be “On Path” or “Off Path”?

When you’re “On Path” you’re getting the life experiences that you’re ready to handle.  These experiences can be opportunities that you can take advantage of, or it can be life lessons that you’re ready to learn to grow wiser. 

When you’re “Off Path”, you’ll encounter experiences that you were not ready for and thus struggle in the process, any opportunities that present themselves are either not right for you or if they are, you’re just not able to capitalize on them. Life lessons are too difficult, you just don’t get it. Resistance to learn from them and overall frustration would bring about your worst response.

So how do you stay “On Path”?  …Here are 5 principles to live by.

1. Character, doing what you KNOW is right. When you don’t, you are putting out this “guilty-like” energy into the universe that attracts repercussions to restore the imbalance.
2. Don’t get angry, it creates disharmony, it should be so obvious but it’s something we ALL do. If this is recurrent problem for you, work on your empathy (identifying with or vicarious experiencing the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another), you may get angry at the dog for chewing up your nice shoes when the dog is just being a dog and that’s what dogs do, laugh it off and next time remember to put your nice shoes away. You may get angry at another driver for cutting you off on the road, it startled you so your immediate response was to take it personal, and see it as a total disregard for your right of way. You could try to empathize and say to yourself, maybe this person is an inexperienced driver, or was not paying attention, or is having a bad day. Look at the positive, say something like “fortunately I’m an experienced driver and was paying attention and thank your good reflexes” and then by all means “let it go!” and move on, don’t dwell on it.
3. Stop worrying!, this is a form of “fear”, when you’re constantly thinking about what may or may not happen in the future, you’re not living in the moment and missing out on experiences you should be having right now, a big cause for regret later on.
4. Be appreciative, so often we take people and life for granted that we don’t enjoy them when we have them. Here’s a good way to strengthen this skill, go for a nature walk …look and touch the plants …acknowledge the harmony and balance that made this happened …feel the sun on your skin …walk barefoot to feel the fertile earth below you …sit under an old tree in contemplation …watch and hear the animals go about their lives …feel the rain on your face and recognize how much we depend on it.
5. Be kind and compassionate to every living thing, remember that we’re all in this together and your actions have a ripple effect. Make your actions honorable.

Love and Blessings!  Javier Lujan {Babalawo Ifajuitan}